Was floating beside my kayak today, and noticed that my kayak is the same as yours as far as the seatback vs. rail height...my statement "my front seat back definitely is higher than the rails" was not true. The curvature of my car's roof made it appear that way back when I was soft-racking it around a lot. Only the rear seatback protrudes up above the rails.

It is a long reach back to where your well nuts are located, but I think the solution is to just find an ape-like friend with long arms. I am 5' 10" and I think I can do it myself, but it would be easier for someone with longer arms, obviously.

Maybe using the well nuts with extra long machine screws and then lock nuts on the exposed ends as insurance would be a good idea? The well nuts could supply some shock absorption perhaps?

Our deck plans are about the same except for the scupper holes. I noticed the Oasis featured on the Hobie website does not show the Twist & Stow rudder system (now on all the Mirage kayaks).

In case you haven't seen it, Kepnutz also has a recent model and has made a custom rudder for his. Also note that he has opted to mount his sidekick just aft of the rear seat:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... 5313f07ee2He's also done some work on his sail and mast -- check out his other posts.

Yeah...my Oasis (built in August of '06) was one of the first with the Twist & Stow rudder. Maybe they had an issue with the cart holes not being strong enough and so they did the "thru both walls of the hull" thing at some point after I bought mine, and that is what you got.

I need to try to find out why Kepnutz installed his SideKick behind the rear seat. Ease of adjustment? Better rudder control? At first glance, it would seem that having it there would make paddling more difficult than having it behind the front seat, but maybe the opposite is true?

Damien - I read here somewhere that Hobie recommends sailing with the SideKick amas in the full UP position, but noticed that yours are in the full DOWN position in the photo of you and the kayak beached.

Have you found that with the SideKick mounted behind the front seat of the Oasis that you prefer to sail with the amas' down?

I know I mentioned that I didn't need the centerboard I made, but that was in light wind. I had the boat out yesterday in 10 to 15, and, though It did OK, I felt that it could have tracked a little better.

I still don't want to use the centerboard because the drive finns are just too convenient. Sometimes I need quick access to the extra power to get out of trouble and to maneuver, and they act as a retractable centerboard. I'm afraid the locked in centerboard I made could damage the boat if I ran aground.

As a solution, I ordered the turbo finns and the large rudder. They should make a difference. In addition, and this helped in the stronger winds, I attached a stainless steal clamp to the right side aka and placed a paddle in it. This was done because I don't like having to reach for and fiddle with the thumb controle. It worked reasonable well and could be reached from both sides. On it port tack, it was quite nice. I could lean my elbow on the aka while stearing the paddle with my right hand. I still used the rudder, but did not have to adjust it as much. The paddle seemed to improve the tracking some what and made it easier/more comfortable to lean out for leverage.

I had my GPS in the hull, but wasn't comfortable enough to be getting in and out of the hatches to get it. It's a water proof VHF/ GPS. Next time out, I will put it in the side net tray where it should be secure, so I can check speed under sail.

Very impressive speeds on the AI above. I'm guessing that my sailing speed was toppping out at around 5 mph up wind.

Also added a batten in the bottom of the sail. That looks like a nice improvement. Didn't get in much down wind sailing though, which is where it should make the most difference. Used the sleave, as recommended here, and very narrow tent poles so it maintains flexability. Now I just take out the top batten in order to roll up the sail.

It's fun to experiment and see how affective a sailer this Revolution can be turned into.

The fitted sheet, for sun protection, is an interesting idea. I am not that fair, but having grown up in Florida, I've already had a couple of non-malignent skin cancers removed. I go out with quick drying long pants and shirt and a wide brimmed hat. An umbrella in a scupper hole will do for pedaling, but I don't think an umbrella or the Hobie bimini is usable while under sail.

Does anyone have experience using the Hobie bimini under sail? It looks like the main sheet would prevent it.

They are in the down position for the photo and that's it. I only put them all the way down when my wife and I are having lunch and want to move around. Normally while sailing I keep them in the middle which works great for me.

I'm interested in finding out more about the best location for the sidekicks on the Tandem Oasis.
Soyjer -what position did you finally decide was best?
Damien- Have the well nuts held OK and can your passenger paddle OK with the sidekicks in the forward position?
Kep- Can you paddle OK with them behind you?
I am thinking of mounting a lee board from the crossbar. Which location would be better for this -I am thinking the forward position??
Thanks

I mounted mine in the same place as Damien...in between the mast hole and the front seat back. I used stainless machine screws with SS stop nuts, but bear in mind that the SideKick is made from the same thin pipe that your paddles are made from, and so maybe a wellnut popping out is better than a bent pipe!
You could insert an innner PVC pipe or dowel or other strengthener into the SideKick pipes, but you'd have to remove the quick-connect button thingies to do so.
I can paddle from the rear with the SideKick installed, but I have to shorten my forward reach maybe 6" to avoid clipping the rear of the pontoons.
If you install like we did, make sure you install it like Damien's pics show...make sure the front seat won't lean back against it...those seats lean back a lot further than you might think. I'll measure the distance between my crossbar and my mast hole...that will give you a precise distance that I know works well.
Removing and replacing the SideKick outriggers is easy enough, so the only plus I can see for installing it behind the rear seat would be for the front passenger to be able to paddle, but I only have the SideKicks installed when I am either sailing or in VERY rough water, and then it is better to pedal than paddle, anyway.

If you'll be using the Sidekick mount for your leeboard, you should use the forward position.

If you locate the Center of Effort from each sail and combine them, That would be pretty close to the ideal zone to look for a leeboard mount. This picture illustrates the concept better than I can explain it:

The most practical position for 2 passengers is behind the front seat. You can pivot your leeboard forward (most likely) or aft to neutralize the helm further, depending on the size and shape of the leeboard.

Also, between the seats is the widest available mounting width, and gives you the the best strength, from a leverage point of view. I would mount with through bolts if possible, especially with 2 sails! There are a couple of ways to extend your reach if necessary which, no doubt, you already know.

BTW, I forgot to mention that you CAN reach the crosspipe mounting locknuts from the front seat hatch. I am 5'10" and was able to hold the phillips screwdriver in one hand on the head of the screws and reach inside with a box end wrench to tighten the nylon-insert ss locknuts. It WOULD be easier if you were taller with longer arms and/or had a helper, however. I set the kayak on edge and laid on the ground beside it to best get my shoulder into the hatch.
I used neoprene rubber fender washers, , then nylon fender washers, then ss fender washers under the locknuts, to ensure a good watertight seal and allow for the curvature of the inside surface.
I will post the distance from the mast hole to the crosspipe today or tomorrow or Thursday, when I visit my kayak next (I keep it at the lake).

I created a jib sail out of half of a Kmart clear shower curtain, which gives me about a total of 25 + 15 = 40 square feet of sail, which helps with cross or downwind travel, but with just standard pedal flippers for a centerboard, it still performs poorly upwind (I don't want to use Turbo flippers because of the extra stress they put on the hull at the pedal mounting points).
If a regular sailboat can achieve 45 degrees off the wind, I can only do about 75-80 degrees off the wind. Easier to just pull down the sails and pedal upwind.
If you get that leeboard thing working, let us know.